Anthem
by MeerkatJo
Summary: Inspired by the song from the musical "Chess". Tom Branson contemplates about love, politics, war and the contradiction in his heart.


**Actually came up with this idea before i went on holiday, but only been able to create and upload now that i'm back. Inspired by the song from the musical "Chess". The man who sings this in the musical is a Russian chess champion in the middle of the Cold War and he's fallen in love with his American opponent's coach. He sings this after he's defected so he can be with her. I might also do something like this for**** another song in the musical called "I Know Him So Well" which is perfect for Anna and Vera. So...enjoy!**

**Jo x**

**P.s I've changed my username so it'll fit a bit better with my youtube username. (link to my youtube page on my FF profile)**_  
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><p><em>No man, no madness,<em>

_Though their sad power may prevail, can possess, conquer my country's heart,_

_They rise to fail,_

Ever since he was a young lad, Tom had loved his homeland. He loved the Irish culture and countryside, and he loved every moment helping out on his uncle's farm on the outskirts of Dublin. He longed for the days when he could escape the madness of his family home in the suburbs of the city and roam free out in the country. But as he grew older and wiser, he became more aware of the law, more aware of the government and the politics controlling this wild, rugged landscape he loved so much. He couldn't say he hated the British (he knew quite a few who were some of the friendliest people he'd ever met), but the whole idea of Empire and colonies; conquering as much land as possible and squeezing it for all it's worth; the idea of the few rich lording it over the many poor was enough to inspire him to do something about it. To speak out against this injustice that he believed the government was forcing upon Britain, upon the Empire and most importantly, upon Ireland.

_She is eternal, long before nations' lines were drawn,_

_When no flags flew, when no armies stood, my land was born._

He knew Ireland and Britain both had colourful histories, he knew them to be peaceful nations. Nations that were born not out of hatred, war and death, but out of peace and the love of the nature and environment around them. That was his dream for the perfect land. A land where everyone was treated with equality, even if they're not as rich as another or if they're different to their neighbour. He wouldn't go so far as to say he was communist, he realised that a successful society would have to have the rich, and the not so rich. But if he could just lessen the gap between these extremes, if he could make it so the rich didn't have so much power over the rest of the people, then he would consider that nation to be something of a jewel amongst other countries. If he could just get a job in politics in the first place, instead of a good, but "going nowhere fast" job in his second area of interest, cars.

_And you ask me why I love her, through wars, death and despair,_

But everything changed when he met her, when he fell in love with her. He didn't expect the youngest daughter of an Earl to be so perfect, to be so beautiful both in looks and in her heart. But she was the polar opposite of everything he was. She was a lady, a member of the aristocracy. Everything that he believed was wrong with Britain and his homeland. She was the top flight of this oppressive hierarchy. She was the symbol of everything that his political views were against. On top of that, he was just a lowly chauffeur, nothing more. What chance did he have with this girl in the middle of the greatest war the world had ever seen? He knew there was this massive contradiction in his heart. He loved his homeland, his political views and ideas. Yet he loved her, the symbol of all he was against.

_She is the constant, we who don't care,_

Yet she was a bit of a contradiction herself. She, the daughter of an Earl, had shown an interest in his political views; his views of equality. As it turned out, she wasn't like her sisters, her father and mother, her family and the whole of her class. She was a natural suffragette, a socialist at heart, and that only turned his vague attraction into a fierce passion for her. He loved her ardently and he was sure she felt a similar way. She didn't care about social rules; about the unwritten law that kept them apart, and that only made him love her more. Maybe they weren't so different after all?

_And you wonder will I leave her – but how?_

The oppressive leaders of the world that he was so against, had decided to address the unrest and the tension between them in the only way they knew how; war. The worst possible thing a human is capable of is to kill, and on the front line, not to kill was not an option. How could he leave her to go off to war and do something so low and inhumane. If he left to join the army, he knew "Thou shalt not kill" would mean nothing. How could he just drop his views and go off to fight like that? How could he separate himself from Sybil?

_I cross over borders but I'm still there now,_

In Tom's heart, he knew that wherever he should find himself, whether in Ireland, in England, or in some hellish trench in northern France, he knew that his homeland would always be with him, his views would always stay true, and Sybil would always stay with him in is heart. But even that didn't mean he should join up that very instant.

_How could I leave her? Where would I start?_

How could he leave his country and views to be with Sybil - the symbol of everything he was against? How could he sacrifice happiness with Sybil for the sake of his views? How could he go against his views and fight? How could he leave Sybil back at Downton, not knowing whether he will return? How could he forget all about Sybil simply because the social rules disallowed their love?

_Let man's petty nations tear themselves apart,_

_My land's only borders lie around my heart._

Why should he care about what was happening hundreds of miles away in France and Belgium? If he thought that war was a pointless waste of life, then he should have the right to stay. If he stayed then he should have the right to be with the woman he loved. It wasn't illegal, it was simply against what others deemed as "acceptable". But he didn't care about that, and nor did she. If it meant both of them losing their footing in society then so be it, they didn't care one bit. If it meant living the contradiction, then so be it, at least he would be happy. He was going to be with Sybil, whatever it took to be with her.

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><p><strong>Any good? Tell me what you think about the contradiction in Branson's heart! :D<strong>


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